SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 10, 2017 - Dedrone, the leading airspace security company that developed the world’s first software to detect drones and protect high-value airspace from drone threats announces today the addition of a new executive leadership team member, Lieutenant General Keith Walker, US Army (Retired), who joins as Strategic Advisor. Together, Walker and Dedrone will work with U.S. and international government agencies to protect military and civilian operations from drone threats. He will be based out of Dedrone’s Washington, D.C. area office.
“Dedrone has retained some of the brightest engineers, developers, and mathematicians in the world to develop a drone detection platform that is unparalleled in its ability to proactively detect drones," says Walker. “I understand first-hand the risks that unauthorized aircraft pose to our airspace, and am excited to join Dedrone as Strategic Advisor. Dedrone leads the airspace security and proactive drone detection industry, and wants to help maintain the security of our government’s military and civilian infrastructure and operations.”
Walker is the President at K.C. Walker & Associates, where he serves as a business development and leader development advisor to several firms. During his 38 years of government service, Walker held leadership positions in U.S. Army, Joint, and Combined Forces, including thirteen years in operational assignments with U.S. partners in Kuwait, Kosovo, Bosnia, Belgium, and Germany. His career culminated as Director of the Army Capabilities Integration Center, where he developed, evaluated, and integrated concepts, requirements, and solutions to provide the Army capabilities needed for joint and multinational operations worldwide. Walker received an MBA from Harvard University and BS from United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.
“Unmanned aerial vehicle and systems were initially only used for military operations, they are now commercially available and in the hands of any consumer, regardless of the pilot’s intention for flying,” shares Joerg Lamprecht, CEO, and co-founder of Dedrone. “There’s been great progress from the FAA and Department of Defense to protect military operations from drone threats. In August, the Department of Defense authorized military operations to actively defend themselves against drone threats, and limited their use of consumer-ready drone hardware, in part due to emerging cybersecurity vulnerabilities. Despite these actions, the fact remains that defense cannot happen without proactive detection, and Dedrone is the leader in this space.”
In addition to bringing on Walker, Dedrone expanded their operation by establishing a new office in the Washington, D.C. area. Officially opening in August, Dedrone’s Sterling, VA operation is equipped with the Dedrone platform and will be an official testing site and demonstration center. At this location, the Dedrone federal services team, along with Walker, will be deploying local installations of the Dedrone platform, developing the technology for government use, and working with leaders at the state and national level to develop comprehensive airspace security programs.
About Dedrone
Dedrone is the market and technology leader in airspace security. The Dedrone platform combines hardware sensors and machine-learning software, providing early warning, classification of, and mitigation against all drone threats. Based in San Francisco, Dedrone was founded in 2014 and is backed by investors including Felicis Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and John Chambers, former CEO of Cisco Systems.